We Win Together
This week the House passed a continuing resolution (short-term funding bill) by a vote of 220–205 that would fund the government from Oct. 1 through Dec. 4. The House bill now faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed for passage. A CR would avoid a broader government shutdown but continue to delay final FY27 funding decisions for NIH and other research and public health agencies. See our primer on CRs and shutdowns.
In the News: We continue to speak out about the importance of medical research. President and CEO Russ Paulsen recently discussed Research!America’s opposition to the proposed OMB rule on federal grantmaking with CQ Roll Call. In his quote, Russ called out the provision that would allow for the cancellation of grant-funded projects midstream, including clinical trials. Russ said that move would be unjust to patients in clinical trials who have put in volunteer hours and at some point taken on risk, probably to themselves, and who would then be told: ‘Thank you for your service, but we’re going to stop this experiment because there’s somebody new who’s interpreting administration priorities.’ Read more about the sweeping regulations proposed by OMB, as well as the public comments filed in response, here.
Russ’s Corner
We have been visiting offices on Capitol Hill along with Research!America alliance members in our concerted pushback against a proposed OMB rule that would set back medical research in this country. While these senior staff are receptive to our arguments, they keep telling us that members of Congress are not hearing from folks back home.
We need to change that.
Both the House and the Senate are nearing their August recess. (The House could break as soon as the end of this week and the Senate on Aug. 7.) This is a perfect time for members to hear from you, your colleagues, and your networks.
It won’t take much time to make your voice heard, and it can make a difference. Starting next week, call the district offices of your representatives and urge them to stop this proposed rule. (You can find them with a quick web search.) If staff there ask you to call the D.C. office, be sure to do that and let the staff in Washington know you were talking to the district office and where you live.
Even better, if your member holds a town hall, goes to a local fair, or holds another event you can attend in person, let them know how bad this proposed rule would be for your town, for your life.
We have worked to make this task as easy as possible. Visit the “Take Action” page of our website, where you’ll find a script you can personalize during your calls or conversations, as well as a quick overview of key concerns. While what matters most is how this will affect people in your area, we have also compiled relevant findings from a national public opinion survey we commissioned earlier this year that show strong bipartisan support for medical research, science, and technology. You can also use our LinkedIn post to get your networks involved.
We need to raise the volume to break through the noise. We cannot afford to stand by. We win when we are together.
Russ
NIH Hosting a Webinar on Unified Funding Strategy: NIH leadership is hosting a webinar on Friday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET during which they will provide more details on the agency’s Unified Funding Strategy. You can register and pre-submit questions here.
NIH Updates Fellowship, Training, and Career Development Review Process: NIH has posted new guidance for NIH fellowship (F), career development award (K), and training grant (T) applicants reflecting its move to centralize peer review. Updates include new review panels, revised review criteria, and updated training data tables. Read more here.
Member-Only Discussion on Operation TrialBlazer: If you are affiliated with a Research!America alliance member organization, join us on Tuesday, July 28, from noon to 1 p.m. ET for a Zoom discussion with Grace Graham, Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Legislation, and International Affairs at the FDA. Grace will provide an overview of Operation TrialBlazer, an HHS initiative focused on clinical research, accelerating the path from discovery to delivery, and helping patients benefit from advanced therapies. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. Please email Trent Carlson for the Zoom registration link.
Last Chance to Nominate Advocacy Champions: Submissions are due tomorrow, Friday, July 24, to nominate outstanding research advocates for the 2027 Research!America Advocacy Awards. Take a look at the award descriptions and submit your nominations now.
Support Our Advocacy Work: Your support is critical to our advocacy efforts. Research!America is working every day to ensure our nation’s discovery, development, and innovation ecosystem not only survives, but thrives. Working together, we can make medical research and public health, as well as overall science and technology progress, a higher national priority. Donate now.